寄席(よせ)

よせ
noun
vaudeville theater, variety hall
buildingleisure
1. variety theater, vaudeville hall
A small theater where traditional Japanese performing arts — especially rakugo (comic storytelling), manzai (comedy duos), and other variety acts — are performed. Several historic yose still operate in Tokyo and Osaka.
寄席(よせ)に落語(らくご)を聞(き)きに行(い)く。
To go to a vaudeville theater to listen to rakugo.
浅草(あさくさ)にはまだ寄席(よせ)が残(のこ)っている。
There are still variety theaters remaining in Asakusa.
初(はじ)めて寄席(よせ)に行(い)ったが、生(なま)の落語(らくご)は想像(そうぞう)していたよりずっと面白(おもしろ)かった。
I went to a variety theater for the first time, and live rakugo was much more interesting than I had imagined.

Pronunciation

The kanji 寄席(よせ) is a special reading (熟字訓(じゅくじくん)). The characters literally mean "gathering seat" — a place where people gather for entertainment.

Cultural note

寄席(よせ) have been a fixture of Japanese urban entertainment since the 江戸(えど)時代(じだい). Famous 寄席(よせ) still in operation include 新宿末廣亭(しんじゅくすえひろてい), 浅草演芸(あさくさえんげい)ホール, and 鈴本演芸場(すずもとえんげいじょう) in Tokyo. Programs typically feature several performers in succession, with 落語(らくご) as the main attraction.

Common collocations

Related Words

Related: 落語(らくご) (rakugo storytelling)
general
Added 2026.2.21 14:51 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
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